Complex Self-organizing System Research Articles

Basic values of contemporary Russian society in the mirror of expert opinions

The article analyzes the basic values of the Russian society. The methodological basis of the present study is the philosophical-anthropological, historical, axiological and sociological approaches. Culture is characterized as a process of purposeful cultivation of humanity in man and simultaneously as a complex self-organizing system that creates, transmits and preserves the basic values of human existence. By basic values the authors understand the socially significant artifacts of culture, which have a significant impact on the functioning and productive activities of not only individuals and social groups, but also society as a whole. It is argued that people’s perception of social reality is not arbitrary, but based on the system of basic values formed in their heads, allowing them to distinguish between good and evil, beautiful and ugly, true and false, useful and harmful, their own and others’. Basic values are ideal and objective. But their perception is always subjective. Based on a series of in-depth interviews with experts conducted by the authors in January and February 2023, conclusions are drawn that: 1) the axiosphere of Russian society is filled with mythological and media constructs, religious and secular meanings, narratives and discourses of classical and nonclassical ideologies; 2) both spontaneous circulation of traditional basic values and purposeful activities of various actors involved in spiritual production processes have a significant impact on its current state; 3) the basic values of Russians, according to the systematization of experts’ answers, are patriotism and family.

Regional varieties and diachronic changes in Chinese political discourse

The present paper explores the synchronic variations and diachronic changes in political discourses in Hong Kong (HK) and in Mainland of People’s Republic of China (PRC). The relationship between lengths of linguistic constructs and their immediate constituents (including sentences and clauses, and clauses and words) are fitted using the function y = axb based on the Menzerath–Altmann (MA) law to capture the characteristics of language as self-organizing complex systems. We found that the two fitted parameters a and b, as distinctive characteristics of complex systems, can distinguish two regional variants of political speeches from HK and PRC over different periods in time. We also found that the same parameters can capture language changes between different periods of political speeches from the PRC. More specifically, we found that regional variations and historical changes show different degrees of salience at different constituency levels. In addition, we found compounding effects between historical change and regional variations. That is, the two regional variants of political speeches are closer to each other at the earliest diachronic period as compared with the latter two periods, as represented by the fitted parameters of the relationship between sentence and clause lengths. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis for the MA Law capturing the characteristics of language as a complex self-organizing system, as the two fitted parameters account for the interaction of diachronic language change and synchronic variation.

Socio-cultural process as a category of cultural discourse

At the moments of bifurcations, random social factors prevail, ensuring the multivariance of social development. The socio-cultural processes taking place in society represent a complex self-organizing system. Socio-cultural changes occur when the previous ordering of social ties does not guarantee the effectiveness of the functioning of the system. The article is devoted to the analysis of various points of view on the socio-cultural process and its determinants. It is shown that society, as a self-rganizing system, constantly changes regimes, implements variability at different social levels. Socio-cultural changes lead to the transformation of society in its morphology, the creation of social forms and structures. Their determinants are mass actions of people. The interpretation of the socio-cultural process reflects the evolution of socio-philosophical thinking. In most approaches, researchers were based on the belief that the laws of the social world are similar to the laws of nature, that society dominates the individual. One of the main features of socio-cultural processes, since they belong to a wide class of self-organization processes, is that they do not have a permanent structure over time and that the changes occurring in them are mostly spontaneous and only partially depend on external influences.

Purposefulness and spontaneity as properties of self-organization of thinking

The paper describes thinking as a complex self-organizing system that simultaneously demonstrates such properties as spontaneity and purposefulness. Such an idea of thinking allows us to consider the specific components of thinking involved in its self-organization when processing arrays of information. This is of particular interest for improving tactical and strategic training methods. The main theories of self-organization are described and analyzed. Among the presented theories devoted to the problem of self-organization, special attention is paid to the theory of complex thinking and the theory of autopoiesis, the cybernetic and synergetic approach, the theory of dissipative structures. The description of thinking and related phenomena was based on the theory of cognitive structures, mental models and the theory of double coding. The features characteristic of theories postulating the spontaneous or purposeful nature of complex self-organizing systems are generalized. It is proposed to use a number of general provisions of self-organization theories to describe the processes and structures of thinking. Attention is drawn to the role of verbal and nonverbal components of thinking in its self-organization when working with information. The features of processing symbolic and figurative information at the verbal and non-verbal level are considered. Attention is drawn to the correlation of the conscious and unconscious in the human psyche, with the manifestations of verbal and nonverbal components of thinking. An assumption is made about the features of information processing of the verbal and nonverbal components of thinking. The analysis of their connection with the conscious and unconscious areas of the psyche is carried out. The possible procedural and structural aspects of self-organization of thinking, implemented on the basis of verbal and nonverbal thinking, are determined. The assumption is made about the use of the obtained results in training to improve the efficiency of information assimilation.

From Dynamics to Novelty: An Agent-Based Model of the Economic System.

The modern economy is both a complex self-organizing system and an innovative, evolving one. Contemporary theory, however, treats it essentially as a static equilibrium system. Here we propose a formal framework to capture its complex, evolving nature. We develop an agent-based model of an economic system in which firms interact with each other and with consumers through market transactions. Production functions are represented by a pair of von Neumann technology matrices, and firms implement production plans taking into account current price levels for their inputs and output. Prices are determined by the relation between aggregate demand and supply. In the absence of exogenous perturbations the system fluctuates around its equilibrium state. New firms are introduced when profits are above normal, and are ultimately eliminated when losses persist. The varying number of firms represents a recurrent perturbation. The system thus exhibits dynamics at two levels: the dynamics of prices and output, and the dynamics of system size. The model aims to be realistic in its fundamental structure, but is kept simple in order to be computationally efficient. The ultimate aim is to use it as a platform for modeling the structural evolution of an economic system. Currently the model includes one form of structural evolution, the ability to generate new technologies and new products.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL ECOSYSTEM OF A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION UNDER CONDITIONS OF STRUCTURAL AND INNOVATIVE CHANGE

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. Problems of social responsibility of higher education institution gain particular relevance not only due to changes in the content and conditions of its functioning, but also due to the transformation of many fundamental tenets of higher education institutions' activities. The close relationship between the concepts of "corporate social responsibility" and "educational organisation" manifests itself as the responsibility of the state for the state of the educational system in the country and the responsibility of the educational organisation for the quality of education to its stakeholders.METHODS. The study was based on the principles of corporate social responsibility, sustainability theory and stakeholder theory.FINDINGS. We propose an innovation ecosystem model for higher education institutions, which represents a new organisational integrity and modern way of producing innovation, implemented within a dynamic and adaptive mechanism that creates, consumes and transforms knowledge into innovative products, using a common innovation infrastructure and common rules among system participants, oriented towards their mutual benefit.CONCLUSION. The identified close relationship between the concepts of ecosystem, innovation ecosystem and business ecosystem made it possible to propose a model of innovative educational ecosystem of higher education institution as a complex self-organizing, self-regulating and self-developing system. The provisions on the need to integrate the principles of corporate social responsibility and the principles of innovative ecosystem functioning implemented in higher education institutions have been substantiated.

Models of co-evolution of structural elements of building composites

It is shown that construction material changes its properties as a result of operational loads action. There are situations when construction leaves its working state with satisfactory material characteristics. This is due to the process of formation and development of cracks as structural elements. The article proposes to analyze history of the development process, which makes it possible to study mechanisms of its flow and to determine factors of process control. The analysis of the studies carried out on the effect of prescriptional and technological factors on the properties of materials and products, the phenomena of self-organization and the role of cracks in materials and products showed that the emergence of critical events cannot be foreseen when assessing properties accepted by averaged characteristics. The construction is considered to be a complex self-organizing system. This determined the work aim: to justify the choice of dynamic models, allowing to determine the structure elements, interaction of which ensures functional state of the structure. The qualitative method of verbal description of the structure of systems with the use of cognitive approaches was laid in basis of adopted methodology. Conservative, metastable and active elements are distinguished in the construction-system. It is emphasized that the active history of the system is determined by active elements, to which cracks refer to. Cracks are considered as some necessary structural elements, present at all scale levels. It is shown that the formation of cracks-systems, treated as parasitic systems, terminates the end of construction-system development and the beginning of parasite system development. Completion of crack-system life cycle removes the construction-system from its working state. To get constructions with a given set of structural elements, a creative community of materials and designers is needed, which will create a common terminology dictionary for both specializations.

Structural organization and operation of the structure-system

The main factor is presentation of the building construction as open complex self-organizing system. The initial theoretical provisions on processes of self-organization of the construction both during its production period and during operational loads action period are formulated. The active elements of structure material are selected. Representation of the construction as system allows determining the conditions for safe functioning of the construction-system in the system of similar constructions.

Ciudad, complejidad y cambio: fundamentos para el análisis de la incertidumbre en sistemas urbanos

Cities are complex systems in constant evolution, whose planning faces increasingly unpredictable futures. Understanding the city as a complex self-organizing system, and based on information theory and thermodynamic theory of non-equilibrium and irreversibility, it is possible to establish the exchange of information that occurs between the urban system and the surrounding environment. This paper shows that facing an abrupt rise in uncertainty, the city can increase its complexity [1], its ability to anticipate the environment [2], its control over the environment [3], can adequately combine the previous strategies [4] or change its identity [5]. The methodology used in this article juxtaposes these predetermined conceptual premises five case studies of cities affected by social conflicts, natural disasters, and wars. The research results show the applicability of the coupling between the urban system and its environment and exemplify how the five strategies have intensely transformed the urban morphology and topology of cities such as Amsterdam, Nicosia, Barcelona, and Beirut. The overall conclusion of the article points out that memory is a critical factor in defining new urban futures.

Traditions and innovations in soil humus doctrine

The purpose of the work. This article does not claim to be a complete review of the problems currently existing in the Doctrine of Soil Humus and reflected in numerous publications, but aims to present the author's vision of a number of aspects related to the possibilities of combining traditions and innovation - one of the general scientific methodological techniques - in the development of this scientific direction. Methodology. The development and current state of two directions in the study of humus substances of soils – chemical and ecological - are considered. It is emphasized that within the framework of the chemical direction, the search for new (additional) techniques and methods is required to prove the specificity of the chemical structure of humus substances as an independent group of natural carbonaceous compounds. At this stage of research, the most promising may be the consideration of the mechanism of humus substances formation from the standpoint of supramolecular chemistry. The methodological basis for the interpretation of the research materials in the section devoted to the ecological direction is a systematic approach and theoretical provisions of soil ecology. It is proposed to preserve the traditional concepts of terms, including the term humus, when solving problems within the framework of the ecological direction, and to clarify the conceptual scope of some terms used in solving problems related to the mechanism of humus substances system formation, their chemical structure and properties as natural substances of a special specific class of chemical compounds within the framework of the chemical direction. In this article, when considering issues related to the understanding of the humus substances totality as a system, the terms humus and the system of humus substances are used as synonyms. Main results and conclusions. It is proposed to consider humus and humus substances from the standpoint of different directions identified in the Doctrine of Soil Humus. Within the framework of the chemical direction, this soil component can be considered as a substance and as a natural open system. In the first case, humus and humus substances are studied on the basis of a reductionist approach and are interpreted on the basis of the laws, principles, and rules of traditional chemical fields, including the chemistry of natural compounds and polymer chemistry. The emergence of facts, statements, conclusions (which have not yet lost their significance and can relate to traditional ones) is traced at different stages of the development of the Doctrine of soil humus from the origins to the present time. The paradigm of the 20th century, which has not yet been supplanted by other concepts and dominant in modern times, classifies humus substances with a stable structural organization as carbon compounds with a variable composition and is considered as traditional. Consideration of humus substances totality as a complex natural self-organizing and self-regulating system requires other approaches to the study and interpretation of the materials obtained, which are based on a systematic approach that determines the comparison of monofactorial soil series, in each of which the objects of research differ in only one condition, property, chemical structure or function. It is necessary to continue studying the effect of alkaline extraction on the state of humic acids by previously applied and new methods, using the widest possible variety of monofactorial soil series of various natural and anthropogenic conditions of formation, and when a critical level of materials accumulates, it will be possible to draw an unambiguous conclusion and determine those conditions under which alkaline extraction should be excluded.

SCIENTIST AS RESEARCHER AND PERSONALITY

The identity of the scientist is regarded as a complex self-organizing system, through which implements its creative potential. The main functions of the system are disclosed in the dynamics of metaphysic cognitive structures of the kernel. In the structure of the individual scientist allocated base and disposition levels, through the elements which link cognitive kernel of personality with the socio-cultural sphere.

Thinking through Poetry: Field Reports on Romantic Lyric. Marjorie Levinson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. Pp. xi+330.

<i>Thinking through Poetry: Field Reports on Romantic Lyric</i>. Marjorie Levinson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. Pp. xi+330.

A System Analysis of the Paradigm of Constitutional Law Making

Heuristic methodological opportunities of a system analysis in constitutional law research at the current stage of development of scientific thought are significantly underestimated. Meanwhile, examination of social and legal processes through the prism of synergistic provisions allows to identify their new essential features and propose more effective approaches to achieving topical scientific and theoretical objectives. The paper is devoted to the study of the paradigm of constitutional law making as a complex self-organizing system that includes law-making and interpretation and law-making elements. The approach proposed by the author allowed: to consider the mechanisms of textual and non-textual development of the Constitution of the Russian Federation within a uniform category of constitutional law; to identify and justify the phenomenon of constitutional law-making synergy; to trace the merger of the legal stances of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and the norms of the Constitution into a single regulatory complex — an integrative source of constitutional law.

Recommendations for reducing the risks of small businesses in the context of integration processes

The aim of this study is to develop methods to reduce the risk load on investment and construction enterprises based on the principles of self-organization. A model of formalizing the vector control function in the process of identifying a company in the investment and construction sector as a complex self-organizing system is proposed. A model of vector optimization of risk reduction for investment and construction companies has been formed, taking into account the difference in their interests and capabilities depending on the degree of integration. The optimality criteria of the model make it possible to reduce the risk coefficient by reducing the potential loss, increasing profits, and optimizing the ratio of own and borrowed funds. As a result of the study, a method was developed for the formation of a risk reduction mechanism in investment and construction companies, which is a set of step-by-step managerial actions for identifying risks and conducting anti-risk measures.

Optimization of the structure of insulating composite materials

The article deals with the interdependent relationship between the properties of a structure and the properties of a material, which sets the task of reducing them, even they are indistinguishable, to a certain integrity. The object of research and analysis in the article is a building structure, which is seen as an open self-organized complex structural system. In the main part, the processes of the formation of structures are considered, as well as the classification of structural elements. The article concludes with structural changes related to the self-support and self-development of the network of active elements, which allow the manifestation of adaptation effects and the design-system to function during the normalized period. The importance of self-organization processes during the development and operation of construction systems allow us to attribute it to a self-organizing system. Thus, the building structure can be represented as an open and complex self-organizing system.

GOOD AND EVIL AS VECTORS OF FREE WILL IN THE STRUCTURE OF ANTHROPIC TIME

Purpose. The work is aimed at comprehending good and evil as vectors of free will in the structure of anthropic time. Methodology. The study is based on: 1) the general theory of systems (A. I. Uyomov, A. Yu. Tsofnas, L. N. Terentyeva) – while justifying the possibility of representing the anthropic time as a system in general; 2) synergetics – while considering the anthropic time as a complex self-organizing system; 3) the concept of «а whole in a whole» (I. V. Yershova-Babenko) – while identifying the optimal principle of correlation of the time units, taking into attention their ethical multi-vectority. Originality. In the context of the reconstruction of the concept of anthropic time: 1) the authors revealed ethical vectors of expansion of free will as the driving principle of human temporality (the vectors of «freedom for good» and «freedom for evil»); 2) the authors justified the optimality of using the principle of complementarity in solving the problem of harmonizing the coexistence of units of anthropic time («matryoshkas of time»). Conclusion. 1) In a line with the tradition of anthropologization of the problem of good and evil, these intentions of human activity are interpreted as vectors of free will in the structure of anthropic time; 2) the paper represented anthropic time as a system in general (based on the general theory of systems) and as a complex self-organizing system in particular (based on a synergetic methodology); 3) constituting of the system of anthropic time by the existential-actionable concept allowed to overcome the position of the one-vectored time, i.e.to reveal the ethical binarity of the anthropic time vectors prepared by the duality of expansion of free will as its driving principle; 4) formulation of the problem of discrepancy between the intentions of different temporal systems showed the optimality of the complementarity principle in solving the question how to harmonize the relations of anthropic time units; 5) the conducted research opens prospects for consideration of external determinants of anthropic time, as well as for search of variants of their correlation with the internal mover (free will) in the structure of human temporality.

Экономическая и целевая детерминация в организации воспроизводящих систем

The article presents the theoretical and methodological approaches to the forming modern concept of nature-use based on adaptive management of the natural environment. In this case natural environment is considered as a complex self-organizing system with a high degree of uncertainty reaction (response) to an external managing influence. Based on the interpretation of the Godel&amp;#180;s applied theorem, we can conclude that it is necessary to develop a multivariate optimal environmental management mechanism with the dominance of adaptive management mechanisms and minimizing the extreme and, a fortiori, robust control techniques.&#x0D; The territorial development concept, based on the primacy of environmental acceptability of projects, is dominant in the modern civilized world. It is based on the need to include the assimilative capacity of the natural environment in the processes of economic activity as a mandatory resource with relevant financial and economic parameters. The approach presented in the article allows to ensure optimization of economic activity on the basis of taking into account the rent component in the value of produced effect of socio-economic activities.&#x0D; Technocratic paradigm of economic activities objectively creates the conditions for increasing environment load. Under the climatic conditions of most of the regions, specified load is critical, creating a threat of loss by the natural environment of its assimilative capacity, which leads to environmentally dangerous and sometimes disastrous consequences: the depopulation of the biotic environment, mutagenic effects, and growth the risk of endemic pathologies. Methodology outlined in the article allows to use it as content in the simulation models development and physical modeling of economic processes related to the intensive nature-use.&#x0D; The article may be useful in the development of territory organization projects, regional planning and the target complex programs of regional development.&#x0D;

Problem of consciousness in learning systems and environments

The article deals with the problems that arise when a human is involved into a complexly training systems and the environment. A theoretical analysis of the infl uence of consciousness on the training mechanisms within the framework of post non-classical conceptions of human psyche functioning was conceived. We argue that consciousness is not intended to refl ect the objective reality and acquire knowledge, and solves the problem of the construction of the subjective world, which is the sum of compromises between the subject and the dynamic environments of his experience. In contrast, consciousness selects and harmonizes the information useful for human life. The role of consciousness in training is largely contradictory and confusing. It is also the source of the new information. The information is distorted in order to create a world view, which tends to objectively contradictive to the outside observer and consistent for refl ective being. We stressed the important role of human’s multimodal sensory experience in the process of interaction between conscious and unconscious forms of knowledge creation and processing. We consider the qualitative difference between physical reality and the model presented in the subjective world. We postulated the existence in the mind of a human dynamic virtual model. According to this model, the natural world is delimited by person and opposed to it being a source of events that make up the content of his life. The border which was built in the consciousness divides constructed reality into the inner and outer worlds. These worlds have different significance for the subject, defining the nature of its activities. We analyzed models the structure of reality and reality as a world’s refl ection offered by Karl Popper, K. K. Kolin, R. Redfield, G. Roth. The attention was paid to the neurobiological model of subjective reality by V. Sergin, which proposed a hypothesis of automatic identification postulating a secondary to human sensory categories. These processes occur cyclically, and their frequency determines the speed of subjective time. The authors of this article propose a mechanism of generating a subject environment (the world of reality) according to which the environment is perceived by man. It is organized element of subjective reality constructed by the body in the process of analyzing the essential relationship of the body and physical reality. It is presented in the form of coordination with other autopoietic systems that allow for the integration of the body and the subject in a niche of individual existence. It is a complex structural evolutionary self-organizing system, resulting from the interaction and coordination of autopoietic systems of the body. Subjective reality is the result of a reduction in the physical reality organization of the human psyche. We show the infl uence of the mind on the mechanisms of human integration with artificial learning environments. It is concluded that in order to improve the effectiveness of complex training ergonomics systems must take into account the properties of conscious regulation of the subject, its dependence on the context. To protect against the destructive mechanisms of action of consciousness training we advise to restrict the user’s intervention in critical modes of operation created a complex training system.

TECHNIQUE OF THINKING STYLE EVALUATING

The results of psychometric analysis of the new technique of thinking styles diagnostics are presented. The fundamental principles of thinking style concept by A. Belousova, according to which the thinking style is determined by the dominance of a person’s function in the structure of thinking activity during the problem solving, are covered. In accordance with A. Belousova’s ideas that the collaborative thinking activity as a self-organizing system is carried out by means of functions assumed by each participant: function of generating ideas, the function of selection (review and evaluation of information), functions of sense transfer and function of implementation. Thinking of adult, acting as a complex self-organizing system, combines the same functions: generation, selection, sense transfer and implementation. In this connection, we believe that the thinking style is defined as a characteristic set of functions actualized by a person in different situations of the problem solving. Domination of generation function determines the development of initiative thinking style, selection - critical, sense transfer - administrative, implementation - practical. The results of testing the reliability and validity of a new questionnaire for the thinking style diagnostics on a representative sample of Russians are given. The author’s version of the questionnaire is presented.

THE PROBLEM OF OPENNESS OF THE SYSTEM OF SOCIAL MORALITY

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the specificity of the openness of the system of social morality to influence of the various phenomena of natural and social being. To achieve this goal it is necessary to identify the control factors of the system of social morality and describe characteristics of their interaction with the system. Methodology. The research is based on the use of synergetic methodology, according to which social morality is treated as an open complex self-organizing system. The openness and non-linearity are the main methodological principles of synergetics, which were used in the study. Scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact, that the idea of openness of the system of social morality to influence of the various phenomena of natural and social being and, above all, those that can be called «control factors» has been comprehensively investigated for the first time. It is noted nonlinear connection between system of social morality and its control parameters, the existence of circular causality between them, the difference in the intensity of the influence of different control factors on morality. Conclusions. Openness of the system of social morality provides, that external factors have an impact on it. Among them there are factors which impact is most relevant. We call them the control factors of the system of social morality. They can be divided into two main groups: the first are those, that have a social origin, and the second – biological. Macro level of morality (moral consciousness) is a new quality in comparison with the control factors. It is not their linear extension, because though it is formed by their influence, but the immediate cause of its appearance is self-organization mechanisms. Control factors are differ by the intensity of their impact on the system of social morality. Among them are those, which can be considered as fundamental, because structures, which are formed under their influence, are the basis of morality. The influence of others is usually lower, although at certain periods of system development it may increase or decrease. Interaction between the system of social morality and its controlling factors is characterized by circular causality: controlling factors affect morality and, in turn, they are subject to its influence.